


My lover, please stay with me

by cunseensea



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Anxiety, Asexual Tyler Joseph, Bless halsey, Depression, F/F, F/M, I swear theres no joshler fic like this one, Ignoring-the-problem Josh, Insecurity, Just wait for it, Lots of Angst, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Multi, Original Plot, Plot Twist, Polyamory, Slow Build, Trigger Warnings, Update once per 2 weeks, Updates on Mondays, With A Twist, also, bad things will happen, cool ending, im sorry, josh has a cat, joshler - Freeform, you all will hate me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-19
Updated: 2016-10-17
Packaged: 2018-08-16 03:03:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8084191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cunseensea/pseuds/cunseensea
Summary: If he knew what was going to happen, he would never go inside. But, as Shakespeare said, what's done is done.Running is the thing Tyler is best at. But you can't run forever. Someone will catch you sooner or later.(I can't choose which summary is better so I'm using both.)





	1. And I'm thinking as I'm sinking

**Author's Note:**

> This is the part when I have to make good first impression. But I'm not even going to try.  
> I'm praying this won't blow up, 'cause if it does then I can say goodbye to my good grades.  
> I want to thank Ivy, my amazing editor. Without her this fic would be a wreck.  
> Enjoy!

Sitting on a balcony in the middle of the night, just before school starts, is never a good idea. Tyler Joseph was doing it anyway, because he wasn’t very responsible. And he wasn’t afraid of catching a flu. He couldn’t sleep that night. He couldn’t sleep every night. Seeing the moon, even when it was behind the clouds, somehow calmed him. It’s the only source of light that won’t disappear when the sun goes down. So he was looking at it, trying to forget that he was surrounded by darkness.

One of the reasons he moved to this block was because it’s close to his college. It’s rather a quiet place, in the suburbs of the city, only a few grocery shops and bus stops on the street. But most importantly, the flat was dirt cheap. His parents weren't rich, but even if they were they wouldn’t pay for a better place. After he rejected a basketball scholarship? No way.

He still didn't know what he wanted to do but he was sure he didn't want to be a basketball star. However, his parents insisted that he went to college to have "a reliable source of education". So he chose English, because, well, he liked to write? He knew it was a bad reason and that he’s wasn't going to get good results. But what else was he supposed to pick? He wasn’t good at anything.

So here he was, sitting on a cold concrete balcony in a dilapidated block and complaining to the moon of what a failure he was. He had no idea what else to do. He didn't have any friends to talk to.

It’d been two weeks since he moved here and Tyler hadn't even looked at anyone. He never really paid any attention to his neighbors. When someone said good morning to him on the street, he usually just replied without even looking in their direction. It wasn’t that he was rude, he just wasn’t interested in socializing with strangers. New people in a new place? Even worse. He could be a little afraid of it too.

No one would want to be his friend, anyway, so why bother? He was just saving his and others time. It was better when he was alone. He couldn’t hurt anyone with his sudden mood changes and not talking for days and then pretending nothing happened. It was safer that way. Still, he felt really lonely. He always could talk with God, but the presence of other human beings was different. He could see people, he could touch them.

His feelings were too complicated, they conflicted each other and didn’t make any sense. He needed to write, and quick.

He was just standing up when he saw a shadow on the other side of the balcony. Of course he got really scared. The black creature was moving slowly in his direction. He knew it was stupid, that this small mass couldn’t hurt him. But he was scared nevertheless.

As it came closer he realized it had blue glowing eyes. And that it was a cat. How could he forget that he was sharing a balcony with someone? Oh, how stupid he was. That someone is probably the owner of the cat.

While he was scolding himself for being stupid the cat already made his way to his knees, laid down on them, and started purring. Tyler was a bit suprised but he didn’t shoo him away. Instead he softly started petting him, being careful not to hurt him. He was glad he had something to show affection to. Animals were so much better company than humans. They were easy to talk to and they would never hurt you without any reason. Maybe he didn’t have to write that night to calm down. He didn’t even notice when he closed his eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep.

When Tyler woke up it was already morning and his companion was gone. He was freezing and everything hurt. He regretted his decisions. But what’s done is done. Wow, did he really just quote Shakespeare? College is already making an impact and it hasn’t even started yet.

He stood up, wincing in pain, and went inside. The door was slightly open but it was still a lot warmer inside than outside. He relaxed feeling the warm air on his skin. Still shivering Tyler closed the door to balcony. He went into the kitchen and what he saw made him freeze in place.

There was his cat companion laying on the counter, clearly enjoying rays of the morning sun coming through the window. Tyler stared at him for a few seconds before processing what that meant. He needed to give him back to his owner. Meaning, he needed to interact with a stranger. Wonderful.

A little annoyed he approached the pet. He hated his life. It sounded really emo, but what else could he think? He was so worried. What if his neighbor had an explosive personality? Maybe they will accuse him of stealing their cat. That would be a problem. He didn't have any money for trial.

This was getting ridiculous. He wasn’t thinking straight. Really, trial? He actually thought he would end up in court? He needed to be rational.

Tyler poked the sleeping cat, making him open his eyes and stare at him. Tyler really tried to make a mad face, wishing his anger would make the cat disappear. Unsuprisingly, it didn’t work.

Tyler sighed and lifted the cat gently. The last thing he needed right now were scratches, so he tried to be very delicate. A black mass of fluff seemed to be enjoying his warm body and already feel asleep in his arms. Animals were far too trusting. Maybe that was one of the reasons why he preferred them over humans.

He walked across the flat and stopped by the mirror. He didn’t care about appearance that much but he didn’t want to be judged either. After deciding that he looked almost decent, Tyler put on his shoes, which was a really hard task. He couldn’t bend down or make any sudden moves with a cat in his arms.

When he was already in the hall he got a little lost and didn’t know which way should he should go. After a moment he remembered he needed to go right. There he was. Flat number 57. For a moment he hesitated. Maybe he should just leave the cat on the doorstep, knock, and quickly run back to his flat? No, that would be really childish.

So he knocked and waited, without any running away. Every second that passed made his anxiety bubble ferociously in his stomach. Just before he decided to dash the door opened up. Well, the man on the other side of it wasn’t scary at all. He even looked quite funny. He was shirtless and in pajama pants. His hair was really messy. And blue. Tyler liked the color. It reminded him a lot of the clear summer sky. Thank God, he managed to look away from the blue nest before he completely spaced out. He was here for a specific reason. Tyler obviously woke the stranger up, which made him a little worried.

And then messy blue hair guy looked at the black fluff ball in Tyler’s arms and smiled. And Tyler swore he never felt so intimidated in his whole life. Normally, in this situation, he would have already looked away, but now he just couldn’t stop staring. He just made him feel all warm and fuzzy, he didn’t quite know why. He was going to treasure this moment though. These days he didn’t have a lot of moments like this.

“Spooky, did you get lost again?” they boy looked up at Tyler. “Hey, thanks for finding him. Where was he this time?” he chuckled softly.

The laugh lasted for a second but this tingly, warm feeling inside his chest intensified. He really tried to collect himself but it was hard when this strangers smile was so cute. Wait. Cute? Never mind.

“On my counter,” Tyler replied quietly and gave Spooky back to his owner. Blue haired boy looked really shocked.

“Oh, I’m so sorry! Please, come in. I need to make it up to you. This damn cat is going to be the death of me one of these days,” he moved from the doorway, released the cat from his arms and gestured Tyler to come inside.

He hesitated, but after a few second of just awkwardly standing there, he entered. He could feel that familiar feeling of anxiety, that he was going to say or do something stupid any minute.

“I’m Josh, by the way,” blue haired boy said as they entered the kitchen. It was the messiest place he'd ever seen. Tyler didn’t dare make a face, he had better manners than that, but Josh started apologizing anyway. “Sorry for the mess. I rarely have visitors. I still know where everything is though, so I should be able to make you some tea.”

Tyler sat on the only stool that wasn’t covered with a pile of dirty clothes. He didn’t know what he should do in this situation. It probably would be polite to kindly accept the tea. It would also be nice if he finally decided to open his mouth and say something.

“Uh, I’m Tyler,” he mumbled. He was sure that Josh didn’t hear him, because he was concentrated on choosing the perfect mugs. But Josh finally spoke and Tyler felt a wave of relief washing over him.

“Tyler, huh? That’s a cool name!”

Josh was trying really hard to make the tea while also cleaning the kitchen at the same time and was failing miserably. Tyler decided to offer to help after Josh spilled the tea all over.

“Maybe I could help?” he asked hesitantly, while standing up.

“What? No! You’re my guest,” he said, giving him a little smile while trying to clean up the puddle on the floor. “I have everything under control.”

Well, Tyler wasn't going to insist. He could silently enjoy this little scene playing out in front of him.

After a few more minutes of cleaning and pouring a new cup of tea, Josh finally sat on the other side of the table. "So, Tyler, how on earth did Spooky end up on your counter?” he asked while giving Tyler his mug, it had a cat printed on it, of course. Tyler wasn’t suprised.

"Most likely he got there through the balcony that we share, I accidentally left the door open last night.” he explained while sipping his peppermint tea.

"Oh, so you're my new neighbor? I was wondering who moved in to that flat. The last person that lived there was Grandma Millie.”

"Your grandma was your neighbour?” Tyler asked, confused.

"No! No, we weren’t related,” Josh laughed. "I wish though, she was the most amazing woman I've ever met. She insisted all the neighbours called her grandma Millie. Her death took a toll on the neighbourhood.”

"Oh.” Tyler said dumbly. Of course he said something stupid, what else would he have said? Something consoling or considerate? Of course not.

Josh looked down at the table, where Tyler put his hands and his eyes widened. Tyler quickly pulled down his sleeves but what’s done is done, huh, Shakespeare?

Josh saw it.

So Tyler ran.


	2. Won't you come around

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to thank Ivy again. She's an angel.  
> Also, big thanks to all my amazing friends that gave me amazing ideas for this fic. Mostly Mem, aka the creator of the most amazing joshler fanfic on this site - ode to you (you should read it like rn, even before reading my fic), for basically making the second plot for this piece of a fine ass fanfiction.  
> ((I don't know how to spell afterall/after all. Forgive me.))  
> Anyway, enjoy! Y'all waited two weeks.

Tyler ran through Josh’s flat and across the hall. He ran into his flat, slammed the door shut and locked it. He slowly started to slide down the door. He just sat there, not knowing what else to do. Thoughts were racing through his mind. He completely destroyed everything. For a few minutes he thought he would have a friend, someone to make him less alone. But now Josh knew, Josh knew how fucked up he was. He'd surely never want to see him again.

Why was he even thinking that it was a good idea to walk inside his home? He could have just given the cat back and been on his way, but something about Josh made Tyler trust him. Maybe it was the way he smiled, or maybe how clumsy he was, or how he made the best peppermint tea in the world, or maybe how he made his stomach do backflips.

Oh frick.

Did he really had a crush on his neighbor?

Of course he did, it was right up Tyler's alley. But why now, when he had to focus on studying and not losing his mind? He prayed he wouldn't fall in love. Oh God, no. He couldn’t. Josh hated him. No no no no no. It couldn’t be happening again. He wouldn’t handle it a second time.

He tried to stay calm and rational but his anxiety was twisting his words and changing them into poisonous thoughts. Now he just wished he had been more careful. He blamed himself for what had happened. If it didn’t, maybe Josh would never find out. Maybe he would have liked him? Maybe he could have been his friend or maybe even more? No, he couldn't imagine things like that. He couldn’t be falling in love. He wouldn't.

In that moment he realized he was sitting on the floor with his back to the door for a few minutes already. And there was no one on the other side. No one knocked. No one asked if he was okay. There was just silence. Of course there was silence. What was he expecting? A concerned Josh banging on the door? He was hoping for it for sure. But the silence just confirmed his thoughts. Josh was disgusted by him.

He needed to be strong. He couldn't break just because some boy saw his scars. He built himself from ruins. He put himself together, piece by piece. He was ready for moments like this. He shouldn’t worry about it. Having crushes is completely normal. He can just choose to ignore all of this. Forget about Josh’s existence. It would be as easy as with the others.

He stood up. His mind was clear even though he was still a little shaky. He wasn’t going to do anything he would regret. Instead of acting on his dark thoughts he was going to write. Maybe if he wrote down his feelings they would disappear? He found it to be the best way to get rid of all of this.

He went to his bedroom, opened the night stand and took out his dirty notebook used for all his poems. On it there was a faded sketch of a boat on the sea and the sunset in the background. He couldn't remember what else was on the sketch because it completely faded from the sun and constant use. He opened the first page and saw familiar words, instantly making him feel a lot safer. He started flipping through the notebook, trying to find the poem he was currently working on, a few weathered pages later, he found it.

_I don't know where I am supposed to go_  
_So I might just take my pride and go_  
_Some people, they know everything_  
_But I know that they don't know my heart_

He wanted to finish it. Or at least almost finish it. And he had a few sentences in his mind that would be a perfect fit. With a sigh he began to scribble down his thoughts. At first they were messy and disordered but after half an hour he decided he had written anything and everything that had come to mind. Most sentences were jumbled but after a long time of tweaking and adjusting, he looked at his work with a small proud smile.

_Won't walk the world any different_  
_And my path won't change until you_  
_Make a wall and make me fall_  
_And break me down_

_Cause I believe in love_  
_And I hope I can show you what I mean_  
_And I don't believe love's for me_  
_So won't you come around and_  
_Prove me wrong_

_You don't know me_  
_And I don't know you_  
_Tell me_  
_What should I do?_

Tyler knew it wasn’t great. But it helped to just write his thoughts down. It was almost like talking to a friend. And as he had no friends here, he had to find comfort in these sheets of paper. It wasn’t a complete waste of time though, after all, he was in English Studies. He had forgotten about it until now, the mere thought of having to go back to school sent shivers down his spine.

Tyler had no idea what to do the day before college started. Normal teenagers go out party, right? But what do teens with anxiety do? Probably stay home worrying about everything that hasn’t happened yet. So that’s exactly what he was going to do.

He stood up, went to the kitchen and made himself some breakfast, well, it was basically just cereal. Then he went back to the bedroom and wrapped himself under the covers, making a cocoon of warmth. He took his phone and earbuds from the night stand and played some music. All the perfect ingredients for a day full of procrastination.

He laid there for a few hours, trying to forget about Josh’s existence. And attempting to drown out his anxious thoughts with music. It almost helped. Singing the lyrics under his breath was a good distraction. He spent something around two hours like this before his phone buzzed, signalizing he got a message. It was from Jenna, his online and best friend.

Jenna: hey tyler, whats up?

Me: Hey, Jenna, nothing really. I'm just listening to music. How are you?

Jenna: im really stressed out, tomorrow we start college, i dont think im ready for it

Me: Hey, Jenna, don't worry. You can do it. I believe in you.

Jenna: thank you, tyler. it really means a lot. youre such a great friend. but im still really afraid.

Me: It's okay. I'm afraid too.

Jenna: so im not alone. okay, lets forget about college for now. how is it going, did you meet anyone?

Tyler stopped for a minute. Jenna really wanted him to make friends. She knew he had anxiety but she still insisted he needed friends who he could depend on. Should he tell her about Josh? No, he wasn't going to. Josh wasn't important. He hated him anyway, so there was nothing to talk about.

Me: No, but Ill probably meet some people in college, don't worry about me. What about you? Any boys?

And these two questions made Jenna talk for another half an hour about this cute boy that was living one floor higher and always opened the door for her when she was coming into the dormitory. Tyler wouldn't have even read the messages, let alone reply to them with more questions, if it wasn't for his brain repeating the image of Josh smiling at him.

He talked with Jenna for a long time. It wasn't until his stomach made a really loud noise that he realized he hadn't eaten since breakfast. He really didn't like to cook but he didn't want to starve either. Maybe he could just go to the city and eat some fast food, but that meant having to go out and interact with people. His brain was manipulating him to go since he was too lazy to cook anything. His mother gave him a lot of money for food, worried about how thin he was, so he should've been okay financially.

Tyler grabbed his wallet and went to the hall. He put on his shoes and went out, making sure to lock the door. He ran down the stairs and went out. Once he was outside he started to feel the aching regret sink in. It was so hot. Couldn't autumn come any earlier? He could've sworn, he was already sweating. To add on to the regret, he was pretty sure someone was looking at him from the window. He didn't know if it was just his anxiety or if it was for real so he turned around to make sure.

There, in the window, was Josh. And he was looking straight at Tyler. They just stared at each other for a few seconds before Josh pulled the curtains back. Tyler felt a pang of pain. He couldn't catch his breath. Everything started spinning and in the last second, he sat on a bench that was a meter away from him to not pass out. Why was this happening? He thought he decided Josh didn't matter. Who was he kidding? Josh could've been some old lady and Tyler would react the same. Everything triggered him. He was so weak. And he didn't even try to get help, he was just too scared.

Tyler sat on this bench for a few minutes, praying that no one would pass by and that Josh wouldn't suddenly open the curtains again and see him in this state. There was no way he was going on a hunt for Taco Bell now.

Tyler stood up, still shaky but determined to hide it. He slowly started walking towards the stairs of the apartment entrance and that's when it opened, hiting him and making him fall on the ground. Amazing. That was exactly what he needed right now.

"Oh shit! Are you okay, dude?" asked a very pretty girl with mermaid blue hair. Tyler could only stare in awe. Yeah, he should have answered or at least get up, but no. He just stared at her, mouth open and still as a statue.

"Well, you're still moving so I guess that's a good sign." she chuckled and stretched out a hand to Tyler. He saw some kind of color under her long sleeve, maybe it was a tattoo. He took her hand and got up. And in that moment his stomach decided to make a very loud growling noise. Well, frick.

"Do you want to go eat something with me? I can tell you're just about as hungry as I am. I was gonna go to Taco Bell," blue haired girl said, smiling at him sweetly.

"Um, sure, I was actually going to Taco Bell too," Tyler answered shyly.

"Cool! I'm Halsey, by the way. What's your name?" Tyler was taken aback by the strange name but decided to be polite and not comment on it.

"Tyler."

"Nice to meet you, Tyler. Let's hurry up, the bus to the city will be here in like, 3 minutes," she said and started walking towards the bus stop.

Tyler followed quickly after her. Man, did this girl walk really fast. It was probably because she was taller than him and had really long legs. They waited for the bus in complete silence, they didn't exchange a single sentence till they were in Taco Bell and Halsey wanted to know what to get him. He stopped himself from saying "death". Not many people understood his dark humor. They were sitting at the table, next to a window, with a great view at the city, waiting for their order.

"So, Tyler, is everything okay?" Halsey asked, while tapping her fingers on the table. Tyler was suprised with the question.

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

"You said you were trying to go to Taco Bell but you were walking back inside. You seemed a little shaky too," she said with a very concerned voice that reminded him of his mother. And that's why he decided to lie. Because he was honest with his mother one time after seeing how concerned she was. And it didn't end very well.

"I'm good. I was just going back because I forgot my phone, but it doesn't matter. I can live without it," he answered, feeling guilty for lying to the nice girl.

"Okay, let's just say I believe you when I don't," she stated, looking right into his eyes with such an intensity he wanted to melt in his seat. "Don't think I don't know what's up. We both have long sleeves. But I'm not going to pressure you because I wouldn't want it myself. I just want you to know that I'm here, flat number 17, if you need to talk to someone that won't judge you, I've been there before and wished I’d had someone who understood."

Tyler was taken aback. He literally met this girl 20 minutes ago and she read him and offered him help. He felt like crying right there and that was exactly what he did.

"Oh shit, I'm so sorry. Was it too much? Dude, don't cry, please, people will think I just broke up with you, or something," she joked and it actually made him chuckle through the tears.

"My dumb jokes actually made someone laugh, maybe I'm improving," she laughed and then started looking for something in her purse. "Here, have some tissues. I always have them on me in case I break someones heart for real."

Tyler took them but couldn't blow his nose while giggling so much. Halsey was so funny and caring and honest and... Tyler really liked her. Maybe it was possible for him to find a friend after all.

"So, we have the crying and laughter behind us. But I'm curious about you, Tyler. What's your full name? How old are you? Are you going to college? You look like you do. I don't mean age. Just this poorly hidden want for death. I'm sorry. My jokes are really stupid," she hid her hands in her face. Tyler didn't want her to feel bad, she did nothing wrong.

"Don't worry, I'm actually a fan of dark humor. When you asked me before what I wanted, like to eat, I wanted to say "death" but stopped myself because I thought you would think I'm creepy," he admmited, great now he was blushing.

"Oh my gosh, you didn't have to! Give me all the stupid dark jokes, I love them more than I love myself. And yes, I just did one right now."

"Wow, you're good," Tyler laughed and realized with a swelling pride he was totally comfortable with Halsey. "To answer your questions I'm Tyler Joseph, I'm 18 years old and yes, I am going to college. What about you, Halsey?"

"Oh, my real name is Ashley but I don't like it that much. Also, my surname is so complicated you will forget it in like a second so let me save my number in your phone with my full name," Tyler gave her his phone and she gave it back a minute later. "So you had your phone afterall, huh?" she smiled slyly.

Tyler blushed and looked down at his hands on the table. Halsey just laughed softly and reassured him not to worry. They talked for a next hour, while eating delicious chalupas and sipping on their baja blasts. Halsey was really easy to talk to and even though they didn't talk about any serious stuff, he knew she had her problems too and understood what he was going through. He learned that she was working part-time as a tattoo artist and barista. She had to go to her job soon so she left after making sure Tyler knew how to get back.

He was still kind of confused with the bus timetable but he managed to get back home. He was just going up the stairs when he saw Josh. He was walking down the stairs and passed him without even looking in his direction. Tyler would have had a panic attack right there but he was so preoccupied remembering his friend date with Halsey. He wouldn't let some stupid boy ruin this day for him. But he felt a little disappointed and he regretted a little that he didn't say anything to Josh as he was walking past him. He came inside his flat and flopped on his bed. Mentally coming up with last words to his poem.

_I don't know if I wrote this poem in vain_


	3. There's hope out the window

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for a little delay but I'm not doing good these days. I would like to thank Ivy again for editing this chapter (she edited only like half of it tho, so rest of the mistakes are on me! I'm not a native speaker, okay?). Hope you'll enjoy!

Tyler was woken up by his alarm somewhere around 6am and felt like literal crap. He didn't even remember when he fell asleep but the dry tears on his cheeks indicated that he cried himself to sleep. What 18 year olds did that? Probably none. With a sigh he rolled out of the bed on the floor and then tried to stand up. Unfortunately he got caught up in the sheet. Or shit if he had to be specific. Because there was no better explanation to what was happening with his life right now.

To add fuel to the bonfire of crappiness he felt his so called morning wood in his pijama pants. Oh how he wished he could make it go away with just one thought. But it wouldn't. So he had to take care of it. With an annoyed sigh he took some fresh clothes from the wardrobe and went to the bathroom. He took his pijamas off and got under the shower. He relaxed when the hot stream flowed down his olive skin. He quickly started stroking himself, wanting it to end fast. He didn’t fight moans that left his mouth. Tyler knew getting a boner was a completely normal thing. But even if his body felt a lot of pleasure his mind felt shameful doing it. And it had nothing to do with religion. His faith was different than most Christians and he knew God doesn’t care about stupid things like this. He just had this feeling. He came with a heavy sigh.

In less than two hours he would officially start college. He wasn’t ready. Yesterday he thought that he was, after procrastinating practically the whole day. But right now, while showering, getting dressed, eating and throwing books into his backpack in hurry, the only thought he had in mind was ‘I can’t.’ Over and over again it was bumping against the walls of his skull making his migraine hum painfully. College was another level of studying. He couldn’t be lazy like he was in high school. He couldn’t be depressed. He didn't have time for all of that. But there he was, having no idea how to reconcile hard work and depression. The future was scary.

After giving himself the last look in the mirror he grabbed his backpack and headed for the bus stop. While waiting for the bus he checked his schedule one more time, just to be sure he had classes at the times he remembered. One at 8am and one at 10am, each one hour long. It was 7am right now. One hour and he would be listening to his first lecture. When the bus slowed to a halt in front of him, the thought of running back to his flat crossed his mind. But he knew he couldn't just skip the first day. He would end up skipping the second and the third too. So he gathered the remains of the control he had over his legs and got on the bus. After finding a free seat at the far back he put his earbuds in and tried to focus on the melody that was playing instead of his anxious thoughts. It was hard because he couldn't sing to himself in a bus full of people but it was keeping him calm enough. Better than nothing.

He got off the bus on the same street that the college was located on. He could see the campus at the end already bustling with people. It was around ten times bigger than his high school and he had no idea where to go. So he just wandered around trying to find some clues in the pavement. He should have checked the college site. He should think before going straight to the unknown place. He wanted to punch himself, right there, surrounded by hundreds of strangers.

"Are you lost too?" feminine voice made him stop in his tracks. He turned around to see a very pretty redhead. She was smiling at him awkwardly.

"Um, yes?" he wasn't sure what his answer should be but he decided to be honest this time.

"I find it very unnerving to be around so many people with so different auras drowning me, doesn't help that i don't know any of them. What about you, Tyler Joseph?"

Well, this was certainly something he had to figure out. He just met this girl and she knows his full name. He could've sworn he never saw her before. He felt almost ashamed not knowing her name, had she known him before? He really wanted to run but by some miracle, his brain told him to just ask. That wasn't so hard right? God, he was helpless!

"How do you know my name?" he asked, cursing inwardly as voice shook a little.

"Oh, don't worry, I'm not a witch. Even if I really want to... I know your name because my mother is a lecturer and she has a list of all the students she's teaching. I just simply memorized all of the names and faces. Too bad I forgot to memorize the detailed schedule. To be honest, I didn't even check it. But I think I know the wifi password to one of these buildings. Let me check my memory palace," she spoke so many words Tyler had a hard time understanding her. She spaced out for a minute however so he had some time to calm down his anxiety. "Okay, I remember it. Do you have any electronic device with access to the internet?"

"Uh, yes. I have my phone," he answered confused.

"Let's go then. We have twenty minutes to the first class. We need to hurry up."

Was this happening for real? Tyler felt like he was the protagonist of some kids TV show instead of an ordinary college student. Why was he following that girl? She seemed really weird. Maybe she was a murderer and wanted to kill him behind the building they were running towards. Why was he imagining stuff like that? She was just a normal student and she couldn't do him any harm in a place full of potential witnesses. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't even notice that they were already next to the building and that his phone was in the hands of the strange girl. He momentarily panicked. In that phone was his whole life, all of his messages, notes, thoughts and feelings. Before he collected enough mental strength to kick his anxious thoughts out of his mind and say anything to the girl she already gave him the phone back.

"Lucky us, we have our first class in this building. The stars are on our side," she said casually, looking at the sky and smiling a little. What a weird girl she was. Weird but interesting nevertheless.

Tyler didn't know what to say, like always, so he just followed her in silence. The battery powering her mouth seemed to be dead too. They were walking next to each other but they acted like complete strangers. Well, they were in fact. They sat next to each other on the back of the class. Tyler took out his notebook and the girl just stared out of the window. The lesson lasted one hour and was really boring. The lecturer, the girl's mother as she said, weirdly looked nothing like her daughter. She was a huge, mean looking woman. And she had the most monotone voice he had ever heard in his entire life. At the end of the class he was one of the few that didn't fall asleep. He tried really hard to make good notes but knew he failed miserably. The redhead didn't look away from the window even once and as curious as he was he was still too shy to ask her about it during the lecture and after it. She left without saying anything or even looking at him. He noticed her mother looking at her with narrowed eyes before looking at him and narrowing them even more. He tried to escape the class before she said anything to him but of course he had to be the last one in the line to the door.

"Wait a second, son," her cold voice made him froze in place.

"Yes, ma'am?" he turned around and said politely.

"Florence is very hard to restrain. I would advise you not to make friends with her."

"I have no intention of restraining your daughter, ma'am," the words were already leaving his mouth before he could stop himself.

Of course, he suddenly couldn't speak a word when he wanted to say something but in situations like this he just had no control over his stupid tongue. To his suprise she just smiled at him in a way that made him shiver and told him to go. He expected a punishment. The stars were on his side today.

After quickly running away from the classroom and exiting the building he wondered what to do for a full hour before the next class. He also didn't know where that next class was taking place. Wait, the girl, Florence, used the internet on his phone. He checked his phone, and yes, he was connected with wifi. He leaned on the wall next to the door and researched the college site. Thank God, the building he was supposed to have the next class in was next to the one he had a lecture just now.

Still, what to do for a full hour? The campus was big so maybe he could find some place to hide. He started looking around, which was hard considering the amount of people that were surrounding him, and saw a tall tree standing all alone on the far left of the building he was next to. Not thinking too much he headed towards it, avoiding bumping into other students. When Tyler arrived he noticed that it was a perfect place to hide because no one was walking in this area. He sat down, leaning his back against a tree stump and started quietly humming some melody he heard in the bus on his way to college. Too bad the students were really loud and even when they were in a quite far distance he still felt anxious. All the sounds around him irritated him more with every passing minute. He decided to put his earbuds in and forget where he was, like always. He didn't notice when his mind dragged him into the oblivion of sleep.

"Hey, Tyler Joseph!" he was woken up by a loud yell. Tyler instantly jumped up and hit his head against the tree stump. He couldn't fight the loud yelp that left his mouth. In front of him was standing a very short girl with weird hair, half white and half black. Tyler tried to ease the pain by massaging the back of his head. Why all strange girls had to bother _him_?

"Good, you're awake, Joseph. I have a package for you," she looked very impatient.

"Why does everybody here know my name? Is your mother a lecturer too or are you just simply a witch?" he asked while rubbing his eyes. He had such a good sleep.

"No, I'm just simply a girlfriend of your friend."

"Oh, Josh's?" He had no idea why Josh, who wasn't even his friend, showed up first in his mind as a potential boyfriend of the strange girl.

"Pff, are you talking about Joshua Dun? In his dreams," she snickered. "I meant Halsey, dumbass."

"Wait, what?" Tyler was really confused. "Halsey is a lesbian?"

"Jesus Christ, Joseph. Yes she is," she took something out of her backpack. "Now take this lunch box or that lesbian will kill me," she basically threw it at him. Tyler caught it in the last second.

The girl closed her backpack and looked at him one more time.

"By the way, I'm Melanie Martinez and I would suggest eating quick, lifting your ass up and going to class," she said before turning away and leaving him all alone by the tree.

He checked the time in his phone. 9:50. Oh frick. He opened the lunch box and started eating the sandwiches in hurry. He noticed they were in the shapes of hearts and could help but smile, knowing that they had to be made by Halsey. It was sure one of the quickest meals in his life. Tyler grabbed his backpack and run to the next class. Fortunately he wasn't late. He looked around but couldn't find Florence. He had no other choice than to sit alone on the last remaining seat, which was in the first row of course. Stars betrayed him.

2 hours later, already at home and making dinner, he thought that this day wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. It was crazy, that's for sure, but not bad. He made sort of friend, met Halsey's girlfriend and ate lunch that made him feel kind of loved.. He really had to repay Halsey and thank her for sure. His mother never made him any lunch to school.

He was just washing the dishes when someone knocked at the door. Weird, he didn't remember inviting anyone. Maybe it was Halsey. He opened the door with a smile and a 'thank you' already on the tip of his tongue. But there, in the doorstep, wasn't standing Halsey.

It was Josh. With a bouquet of flowers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is getting cheesy, I'm sorry.


End file.
